Just Because It’s a Good Idea Doesn’t Mean You Should Do It or, Bob's Not Happy

My new ride is a SUB, a sport utility bike.  The concept is a sturdy well made bike that can carry more stuff than just me and my knapsack. I got myself a Surly Pacer frame and fork on Ebay and then fitted it out with a Campagnolo drivetrain bought on sale, or close out, or Ebay. It’s not a $300 cheapo by any means. It’s not even one of Mr. Braddy’s dumpster rescues. It is worth about twice what I paid for it and should last a few decades. It’s not real fast but it can carry a good bit and it has a shiny brass bell.

It is a good idea for all of us to try to use automobiles less. This could mean carpooling, doing more than one errand per trip, or an alternative means of transportation. Personally I am very fond of land sailors, anything from a skateboard to a railroad handcar with a huge amount of sail attached. This is not very practical however much fun it provides. Most people can leave the car at home by walking, riding a bike, taking the bus or hitching up a wagon to a mule.

I have a nice selection of livestock around our little acre. There are rabbits, chickens, gold fish and two cats. One cat lives inside and the rest of the menagerie lives outside, including the fish. Bob is the outdoor cat. He had a little mishap and needed to go to the vet. My lovely wife was not home but hey, no big deal, I’ve got a SUB. I strapped a pet carrier to the rack 

on my bike and trundled Bob off to the vet. It’s only a mile or so, no big deal,

 right?

Bob didn’t think so. He yowled all the way to the vet’s. He was a perfect gentleman at the vet’s. He had an abscess on his foot and was all nicely bandaged up for the ride home. He yowled most of the way home. Three fourths of the way home we were chased by a Shitzue and Bob pretty much shut up the rest of the way home.

Bob had to go back to the Vet four days later. I figured I would improve his accommodations. I made a flat bed for the rack and attached a bigger more plush cat carrier, complete with a rug so he would not slide around so much. It looks pretty slick and is very stabile. The wire door makes a racket over chipseal and bumps. Bob let me know about this real fast. He was very vocal and very loud for most of the way over. I was thinking it was a good thing I faced the door towards the rear. I might have needed stitches if he could have reached a leg.

The vet loves Bob, everyone loves Bob. He is a real sweetie with no dignity and all of the girls who come by the shop, coo over him. He doesn’t bite or scratch, he falls over and lets you rub his tummy. He got around just fine with his leg bandaged up, he even jumped over the garden fence. Bob’s a good cat, he’s just not happy. Cycling is not for everyone, especially Bob. Next week, the indoor cat has to go to the vet. Whee.

(Recent big load. Two frozen turkey breasts, 2 cans of white beans, two cans of pumpkin, two boxes of 2 gallon ziplock bags,2 pounds of Tilamook cheese, and a six pack of Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. Half in one bag half in the other.)

A Hard Head and a Failure to Bounce

Two Saturdays ago Sponge Bob hit a bad section of road and crashed. He was found in the middle of the road with no clear idea of how he got there. This is a scenario that scares even the most seasoned of riders. There was no sign of impact with a vehicle, and SB is a well seasoned rider with very good bike handling skills. What happened?

There is a section of road in Granjeno that has had a lot of heavy truck traffic. The trucks have caused collapse of the road substrate, leaving a few tire shaped trenches. At first glance they just look like a little dip in the road, the asphalt is all of one color. A closer look shows a sharp 3 to 4 inch vertical wall on the inside away from the shoulder. If a rider goes into on of these holes, it will seem like a dip in the road. Should the rider move to the left at all, the whole front wheel goes out. This is what happened to Sponge Bob.

One Saturday ago, I was riding with a group in La Joya. The group turned up Jara Chinas road and I failed to catch the last wheel. There were various reasons for this. The pace picked up on the turn, I did not feel like sprinting up to the last wheel and I thought I would close the gap when the pace settled back down. Well. the pace never settled back down, it actually picked up and I watched the group ride away from me. I watched them ride away for six miles, getting smaller and smaller on one of the loneliest roads in the valley.

Sponge Bob doesn’t remember much of his accident. The clues suggest he did an endo. That means the front wheel ceased to rotate and he went over the handlebars, ending in a header. His helmet has four big cracks in it and his pelvis has two cracks. There is a cracked or broken rib as well. He will be off the bike for six to eight weeks at best.

My little story ended up with the group stopping for someone else to catch up and me catching up as well. I was very steamed that they had just rode off and left me and decided I would not ride home with them but would ride the beach instead. The beach is an even lonelier stretch of road that's has 2 to 6 inches of loose sand over caliche washboard. This is not a road for a road bike but I was pissed.

Sponge Bob doesn’t bounce well. He is a white guy and we all know white guys don’t bounce. He has a very hard head though. There is some debate whether the tarmac or his cranium broke his helmet. His stubbornness will serve him in good stead. He will use the same discipline he uses in training to recover and get back on the road. He will ignore the friends and family who are asking him if it is finally time to quit cycling. Instead he will rely on the strength of his cycling family to get back on the road.

My hard head got me rapidly no where. The beach section of Jara Chinas has virtually no houses and little traffic. When a vehicle does come down the road there is a Saharan dust storm accompanying it. I made it almost five miles. I saw a second dust storm approaching, this one with two kayaks on top. It was my friends Betty and Susan and they gave me a lift back into civilization.

Stubbornness can be a curse or a gift depending on how you use it. Some times it is called perseverance, will or strength. Other times it is obstinance, ego or jackassnicity. Friends on the other hand are a wealth beyond words.